


Lightning's End

by MyThoughtBubbles



Series: Indulgences [6]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Hiruzen makes a guest appearance, Interspecies Relationship(s), Iruka is human, Kakashi is a deity, Light Angst, M/M, Mushishi Vibes fully intended, Shinto, Slow Romance, Subtle Romance, Umino Iruka Adopts Uzumaki Naruto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:34:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27965372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyThoughtBubbles/pseuds/MyThoughtBubbles
Summary: “A shrine entrance?” Iruka murmured out loud, “but then, where is the —oh.”The path continued past the torii gate where it broke into segments, dead yellow grass cutting in-between each section until it reached the edge of a pool at the base of a small waterfall that surrounded a beautifully peculiar shrine, unlike any Iruka had ever seen.It stood slightly taller than waist-high and rested on a small square of matching stone in the middle of the pool. The wooden roof was in disrepair, chunks missing and molding, exposing the inner chamber to water and flora that eroded the delicate stonework. The smooth rock face behind the shrine allowed water to steadily trickle down and feed the pool, the ripples gently rocking tiny lily pads that clustered around the stepping stones that led right up to the mouth of the shrine.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Umino Iruka, Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka, Umino Iruka & Uzumaki Naruto
Series: Indulgences [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/764616
Comments: 14
Kudos: 142





	Lightning's End

**Author's Note:**

> unbeta'd :o

Iruka almost didn’t see the path.

The barest hint of crumbled stone peeked through the long thin leaves of the plants that lined the steps carved into the mountain. One geta poised to continue his commute to the small village and ultimately Konoha Academy, Iruka paused and crouched low to brush the leaves aside. His interest was piqued at the discovery of more stone beneath the overgrowth.

“It’s definitely a path,” Iruka muttered and dug his hands deeper. “But where does it lead?” He’d never heard of a different path to Konoha or of any other routes through the mountain; was it an old path to a river? Or maybe an old trading route?

Toying with the strap of his knapsack, Iruka deliberated as his curiosity mounted; explore, or head to the Academy? He had a few extra minutes; maybe the path ended quickly — it would take no time to find the end. Chewing his bottom lip ragged, Iruka relented and set his knapsack down. A quick detour wouldn’t hurt. 

He stepped onto the path. 

As the wooden pegs of Iruka’s sandals hit the stones, a cool breeze swept by and doused him in a shower of leaves that carried the hint of something sweet. Iruka blinked twice and inhaled deeply. The forest along the path exploded into a sea of vibrant green colors that danced in a wind Iruka couldn’t feel but could taste. A warm, pleasant feeling settled along Iruka’s body and he took another step, the plants along the stone path tugging the bottom of his yukata. With utmost clarity, he understood that something wonderful waited for him at the end of the path. The trees drew him in and Iruka went willingly.

“Iruka-sensei, what are you doing?” 

The voice cut through the haze that had descended around his mind and Iruka stumbled, realizing he had reached the treeline and was about to cross into the heavily wooded area of the mountain. Startled, he saw that the path had disappeared and the forest looked as it always did; nothing glowed with life and he smelled nothing sweet.

He glanced back and Ebisu-sensei met his gaze curiously. Had Ebisu not seen the path…?

“I thought I saw something,” Iruka said uneasily. What happened? Where did the stone path go? He picked his way back and retrieved his knapsack. The sturdy steps of the mountain beneath his feet, Iruka shivered at the thought of having been so close to blindly wandering into the uncharted mountain; what had possessed him to follow?

Ebisu grunted his disapproval and started up the steps. “Well, next time be more careful about your time. You have a class to teach and being tardy sets a bad example for the students.”

Iruka’s mood soured and his wariness dispersed. “Of course, what was I thinking.”

“Besides,” Ebisu continued, “you shouldn’t wander off the steps. People go missing on this mountain, you know.”

* * *

Iruka ended up distracted the rest of the day thinking of nothing but the mystery path. It had seemed so real! Had he truly imagined it? Where did it lead? 

Hearing his name, Iruka glanced up from his bowl of cold noodles and blinked owlishly“Yes?” 

Mizuki grinned and Kurenai shot Iruka a winning smile. “Great! Asuma will be so happy! Thank you, Iruka-sensei.” She pushed off the edge of the table and left quickly.

Baffled, Iruka turned to Mizuki. “What did I just agree to?”

“Switching your morning schedule to her evening shifts so she and Asuma can have _‘proper dates’,”_ Mizuki said, mimicking Kurenai in a poor nasal rendition. 

Iruka chewed thoughtfully on his gummy noodles. If his mornings were free, he could use the daylight to find the path. How lucky! “Oh well. I don’t mind.”

“You know, you’ve been pretty distracted today.”

“Have I?” 

Mizuki raised an eyebrow and waited.

Wanting to ask Mizuki about the path, Ebisu’s odd warning sprang up in his thoughts. Iruka changed his mind at the last second. “I’m just tired. Had a long night.” 

It wouldn’t do to start rambling about a path that didn’t exist; no, he would keep silent about it for now.

* * *

On his way home with a backdrop of a pink and orange-hued sky gracing the mountain, Iruka tried to look for the path. He regretted not marking it somehow, the plants lining the steps utterly identical and the steps themselves too long to check individually. Disappointment sprouted in his chest and Iruka began to believe he had imagined it after all. The sky soon grew dark and in the woefully inadequate light of his lantern, Iruka gave up and wandered home.

* * *

It wasn’t until the fourth time he checked that he found it. As if now willing to accept Iruka, its broken stones were visible once more in the early light of a new morning rising over the mountain.

“I _knew_ it, you’re real!” Iruka exclaimed triumphantly, glad no one was around to see him hop around.

This time prepared and with plenty of time to spare, Iruka marked the closest tree with a scrap of cloth tied around a branch. Facing the path, Iruka hesitated for a brief moment, Ebisu’s voice ringing in his head, and then took a step.

Half-expecting nothing to happen, Iruka jumped as a strong wind ripped his hair tie free and whipped his hair into his eyes. Wincing, he raised a hand to protect his eyes and sniffed cautiously. The sweet wind had returned and eased, now playfully pulling Iruka’s hair and Iruka sucked in a deep breath, a silly grin curving his lips. The tips of his fingers and toes tingled pleasantly. 

The trees and bushes took on a brighter color and grew muddled, as if Iruka was viewing them through rippling water. Only the path remained vividly clear, waiting for him to follow. Retaining enough wherewithal to know he should be alarmed and that there was something freakishly wrong with wherever the path led, Iruka swallowed another mouthful of the air and found he didn’t care anymore. 

Step after step, he ventured into the thick forest and walked for a long time. His mouth grew dry and Iruka wished for something to drink. He rounded a large tree and was greeted by the soft rush of running water. Excited, he crested a steep incline, his sandals slipping on the stones, and found a small torii gate before him.

Sharply titled to the side and barely standing, the color of the gate was long gone but hints of red remained in the cracked shards of wood. Drawing nearer, Iruka could see the tattered remains where a shimenawa was hung, the white paper shides long gone.

“A shrine entrance?” Iruka murmured out loud, “but then, where is the _—oh.”_

The path continued past the torii gate where it broke into segments, dead yellow grass cutting in-between each section until it reached the edge of a pool at the base of a small waterfall that surrounded a beautifully peculiar shrine, unlike any Iruka had ever seen. 

It stood slightly taller than waist-high and rested on a small square of matching stone in the middle of the pool. The wooden roof was in disrepair, chunks missing and molding, exposing the inner chamber to water and flora that eroded the delicate stonework. The smooth rock face behind the shrine allowed water to steadily trickle down and feed the pool, the ripples gently rocking tiny lily pads that clustered around the stepping stones that led right up to the mouth of the shrine. 

Iruka could see no statutes to denote which deity the shrine belonged to, but nonetheless felt sorry for the God and the neglected state of their shrine. It was a shame the sanctuary had been left to rot when it was surrounded by such beauty.

Iruka walked up to the edge of the pool and bowed respectfully. He could see straight through the crystal-clear water to the bottom of the basin and his mouth grew drier. Offering a vague prayer for forgiveness, Iruka removed a cup from his knapsack and dipped it into the pool. Water flowed into his cup and he brought it to his lips, a fresh waft of the honey-like scent brushing his nose as he drank.

It was refreshing and Iruka drank more even as his thirst abated, enjoying how the flavor sat on his tongue. His fingers and toes tingled again and Iruka paid them no attention, his focus then drawn to the faded carving at the pointed top of the shrine above the chamber. 

Something distinctly wolf-like peered back at him. 

Brushing off a cluster of algae, Iruka’s thumb circled the face, tracing the line that cut down over the right eye and cheek. Was this the deity? Again, it was unfamiliar but oddly fitting of the strange little shrine. Mildly amused, Iruka rummaged around in his knapsack and pulled out two wrapped onigiris. Having intended to eat them as he explored the path, Iruka placed one inside the shrine and clasped his hands together and bent over in a slight bow.

“Please take this offering and allow me to return. Thank you, god of….good tidings?”

He cautiously peered around, waiting for a sign of the god’s irritation at being misidentified. Hearing only bird songs and chirps, Iruka straightened up and retreated to the bank of the pool where he plopped down with the remaining onigiri. As he ate, he pretended he was keeping the deity company.

“I can’t see any signs of anyone having visited in a long time,” he said conversationally. “I guess you’re pretty lonely. Must be, with how far away this trail is. I wonder why the path disappeared before.” Iruka nibbled on the last piece of his onigiri, wanting to stretch the moment out. “Hope you like salmon. I can bring something else if you want?”

Nothing responded and Iruka fell silent, simply enjoying the peaceful oasis. He watched the water flow, spotting tiny flowers among the lily pads that he was sure he hadn’t seen earlier. He studied the grounds around the shrine, perplexed by the dead grass that only existed around the shrine. Past the torii gate, the grass was perfectly healthy.

As the mountain grew dark and the colors of the surrounding plants dimmed, Iruka vowed to come back with a real offering and to patch up the shrine as best he could. It was the least he could do for the poor shrine and its missing deity.

Glancing at the shrine one last time before he dropped down the crest he scaled earlier, Iruka bid it goodbye.

* * *

Four days passed before Iruka had the opportunity to visit the shrine again.

Having tossed and turned each night with increasing worry about never finding the path again, Iruka spotted the tree he marked and felt nothing but relief. With a carefully packed lunchbox in hand and a knapsack full of tools slung across his back, Iruka stepped into the forest.

The familiar wind welcomed him and urged him forward, and the path seemed easier to follow, as if the plants had retreated to show him more of the crumbled stones. The path itself had changed, or so Iruka thought, finding the journey shorter and less winding. A brief sense of wariness hovered in the back of his mind as he slunk deeper into the mountain, but it passed with indifference as soon as he reached the crest that hid the shrine. Already, his mouth was dry, aching for a sip of cool water.

Iruka was elated to find everything as he had left it; no one had come across the shrine in his absence and the dumpling was still there, now stiff and unappealing. Iruka approached with a curt bow. 

“Please don’t be mad, God of the waterfall shrine,” he pleaded in a quick prayer, idly wondering when the deity would have enough of him. “I’ve brought a worthy offering.”

He tossed the dumpling aside for the mountain animals and set to work clearing the debris inside the chamber, carefully scooping out the dirt to avoid tainting the pool. A few more flowers had bloomed and a stray frog hopped around, flicking water at Iruka. He lacked the skills to repair the roof and instead tied together several green fronds from nearby plants to create a makeshift patch. The sun traveled across the sky as he worked, warm yellow beams piercing through the canopy of leaves and falling across the stonework of the shrine. Iruka knew he would need to leave soon or risk being late to his class.

He finished the patch, tied it down, and was pleased to see it work fairly well, blocking out most of the splash from the waterfall. He touched the carving’s face.

“I hope this offering pleases you, God of the mountain.” Iruka tucked a meat bun into the chamber and bowed. “If it doesn’t, allow me to return and bring something else.”

* * *

Slipping two red apples into his overfull basket, Iruka paid the merchant and waffled at the edge of the village until he spotted Hiruzen, the village elder, inspecting Konoha’s gates.

At his approach, Hiruzen welcomed him with a strong hug and held him in place by the shoulders. “Iruka, how have you been?”

Iruka grinned. “I’ve been well, Hiruzen-sama. If you have a moment, I have a question.”

“Of course, ask away, my boy.”

“Do you know of any Shinto shrines around here? Small, local ones?”

Hiruzen rubbed his chin and hummed. “Not local ones. There’s the one down the mountain, where the base meets the Senju river, and one on the way to the next mountain. Other than those, I’m afraid not. Why do you ask?”

Iruka thought quickly. “I’ve been meaning to make an offering and I wondered if there was one on the mountain that was closer to Konoha. Maybe one in the forests.”

Hiruzen’s gaze grew shrewd and Iruka shifted uncomfortably beneath his stare. “Stay away from the forest, Iruka. There are dangerous things that live in the dark. The mountain itself can call you in.”

Iruka smiled but it felt brittle. “I wouldn’t dare.”

* * *

Iruka’s guilt about lying to Hiruzen was short-lived and all but vanished as he arrived at the shrine.

The meat bun was gone and Iruka grinned. He hoped whatever little creature took it had enjoyed it. “I’m back; I hope you haven’t missed me terribly.” Standing before the shrine, Iruka bowed deeply. “I’m glad my offering pleased you, God of good taste. I’ve brought something different today.”

He placed the better of the two apples inside the shrine and checked the patch of fronds. It was holding steady but once the leaves wilted, he would need to replace it. He thumb brushed over the carving, the eyes of the deity seemingly watching him with a curious intensity.

On some base level, Iruka was sure the deity was long gone, having moved on to a well-kept shrine elsewhere. Even so, Iruka’s visits and gifts were for the memory of what once was. Though no one was listening to his prayers, he felt content to voice them and keep the ghost of the shrine company.

From his knapsack, he withdrew a fresh shimenawa with crisp white paper strips he folded himself. Fearful of breaking the delicate remains of the torii gate, Iruka draped the rope on the crooked wood and surveyed his work with a pleased eye. Now the shrine was definitively marked as sacred.

A fierce burst of wind blew across the little area and Iruka ducked his head as the shides danced wildly but remained stuck to the shimenawa. The wind was gone as quickly as it had come, leaving Iruka surrounded by the comforting sweet-scent. He sat in his usual spot beside the pool and looked down at the water, shocked as he caught a glimpse of what looked like a young white koi fish darting beneath the lily pads. 

“How did you..?” He searched the water vainly but the koi didn’t reappear. Dismissing it as a symptom of exhaustion, Iruka polished his apple and took a bite. He eyed the carving.

“I hope you weren’t lonely,” he said earnestly. “I didn’t mean to be away for so many days. I was a little busy. You see, I’m an instructor. My students are young and are often difficult to handle. There’s one in particular I’m struggling to reach. He’s an orphan, like me, but I don’t understand him. I’m afraid I’m failing him and it worries me that he seems used to that…”

* * *

It became a habit to visit the shrine several times a week. Each time Iruka returned, he noticed something new about the shrine. 

The carving of the deity seemed to grow clearer, now etched in sharp, defined lines. The missing sections of the roof were smaller, requiring less patching. The pool attracted more creatures, now teeming with life and beautiful flowers. The grass within the shrine was no longer dead. The faded paint of the torii gate now glowed a brilliant orange.

Even as the rest of the mountain prepared for winter, the shrine brimmed with life and Iruka found it harder and harder to leave.

* * *

“Oi!” 

Iruka huffed as he scaled the incline, his getas slipping as usual. He pushed himself over the ledge and jogged past the torii gate in time to see the grey-haired boy snatch the dumpling from the shrine and bolt into the forest, the ends of his blue yukata whipping behind him.

“Wait, you don’t need to eat that!” Iruka cried out, waving around the small bento box he yanked from his knapsack. “You can have this if you’re hungry!”

Waiting for a while to see if he returned, Iruka placed the bento box into the shrine and sat down to eat his own, his eyes straying to the patch of bushes the boy had squirreled through. “That dumpling is days old,” he sighed glumly. “Poor kid. He looked awfully young.” Iruka looked at the face of the wolf and the pointed angles of its canines. “Maybe he knows who you are.” He chewed on a mouthful of rice. “Or maybe he’s just a disrespectful little brat.”

Finding nothing else to tidy up around the shrine and not wanting to leave, Iruka dozed off in a warm patch of sunlight until the heat woke him up. Packing up his belongings, he left the box inside the shrine.

* * *

The spare bento box remained untouched for another day and Iruka replaced it with a small bowl of miso soup, carefully covered to keep insects out. He threw the soup out the next day and refused to feel disappointed. He was certain the boy would come back. Something told him he would.

* * *

A week after the boy had visited, Iruka placed a fresh onigiri in the shrine and set to work braiding a new layer of fronds to cover the roof. It was only a small patch now, and the waterfall seemed to have changed paths, falling around the shrine rather than on top. He hummed as he braided, enjoying the quiet murmur of the waterfall and the whisper of a breeze through the trees. The wind then picked up and whipped his hair into his eyes and Iruka squinted at his hands.

“What are you doing?”

Iruka jolted and after a beat, continued braiding. He didn’t turn around even as the skittish footprints approached. “I don’t have carpentry skills so I can’t fix the roof. This is a temporary fix.”

“Why?”

“Why am I fixing it? Or why don’t I have carpentry skills?”

“Why bother?”

Iruka paused, wanting nothing more than to turn around and see the boy’s face. Maybe he didn’t follow Shinto beliefs? “Because it’s a shame to let a shrine become neglected. I want to help restore it and pay tribute to the deity it belongs to.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“Why,” Iruka countered lightly, threading through the final frond.

“You should leave.” 

“How come?”

“You’re an idiot.” The boy’s voice grew ominous, a hint of a threat bleeding through. “Don’t come back.”

Iruka whirled around, a scold ready on his tongue, but the boy had vanished. The onigiri was gone, too.

* * *

The stones beneath the grass weren’t broken, merely hidden by the overgrowth. 

Trimming back the excess, Iruka dumped mounds of cut grass into a basket and wiped sweat from his brow. He took a sip from the pool’s water and lifted his head to a cool breeze. When he looked down, the boy had returned and was surveying his work.

“It’ll grow back anyways,” the boy said dismissively. “Why bother.”

“Why does it bother you?” Iruka grumbled, mildly uneasy he hadn’t seen where the boy had come from. “Where are your parents? Do you live nearby?”

The boy looked at Iruka with eyes that were incredibly familiar and eerily cold. “I don’t have any.”

Iruka’s ire died away instantly. “I’m sorry. Do you live with relatives?”

“I live here.” The boy ignored the rest of Iruka’s questions and chased around a frog. Once he caught it, he tossed it out of the grounds of the shrine.

“Oi, he needs water!” Iruka scolded sharply, brushing past him to look for the frog. Unable to find it, Iruka glared at the boy over his shoulder. “Are you trying to kill him?”

The boy’s face grew stricken and he looked down at his hands, his hair hiding his eyes. Without a word, he turned and ran away.

Immediately remorseful, Iruka tried to call him back. His voice grew hoarse as the shadows of the trees grew longer and longer. He dropped down beside the shrine and hugged his knees, feeling very much a little boy himself. “That was needlessly cruel of me,” he admitted. “I feel awful.” He looked at the carving beseechingly. “Please let him know I didn’t mean it.”

* * *

For another week, Iruka brought sweets and fruits and his guilt worsened when they remained untouched for days. Even the sight of the shrine glowing with life was unable to cheer him up.

* * *

Iruka tiredly sprinkled food into the pool and watched the masses of koi writhe over one another as they breached the pool’s surface. He plucked out a few of the lily pads, worried about overcrowding, and checked the roof. The wood was healthy and strong and Iruka wondered if someone had come by and fixed it completely. Maybe someone who knew the boy?

The torii gate had long-ago righted itself and now, the grass of the shrine grounds was healthy and green while the grass outside the boundary was browning. Iruka eyed the withering trees of the mountain, grateful that whatever plague had struck them was not affecting the trees within the shrine. It remained a peaceful haven.

A freshly made meat bun went inside the chamber and Iruka sat down heavily, sweat sliding down his temples. The journey to the shrine had been oddly taxing and Iruka hoped he wasn’t getting sick. If he was unable to visit the shrine, surely it would lapse back into disrepair and all of his hard work would be for nothing. No, he couldn’t stop coming, no matter how tired or unwell he felt.

He wondered if the boy was okay.

* * *

As soon as he pulled himself over the ledge, Iruka rolled over onto his back and wheezed. Again, he touched his forehead and felt no fever, nothing that would explain the bone-deep weakness in his body and his lack of energy. He laid there for a moment before gathering enough strength to totter over to the shrine.

“Please take this offering, God of Good Health.”

Drawing out a small package of dango, Iruka dropped it in and fell back, too tired to ask for forgiveness. His own stomach was empty but Iruka wasn’t hungry. He rolled over onto his side and stared at the grass that swayed in the wind, grateful he had been able to come. His fatigue increasing, Iruka’s eyes slid closed but not before he caught sight of a pair of pale feet coming closer, too big to be the boy’s.

He dreamed of someone holding him tightly, pressing warmth into his body.

* * *

Held back by family and social visits, Iruka returned a month later, pleased his sickness had all but disappeared in the meantime. The journey to the shrine was easy and Iruka grew convinced the deity had restored his health. Humming to himself, Iruka tucked a pastry into the shrine’s chamber and sat back. “There.” 

Mumbling a prayer with his eyes closed, Iruka felt the air pressure change and suddenly knew someone was behind him. Startled at the certainty, he spun around and found the boy staring at him. He wore the same yukata and a scowl on his face.

“How did you—” Iruka began.

“I told you not to come back,” the boy snapped.

Iruka’s temper flared to life but his guilt locked it away. “I’m sorry about what I said before. I didn’t mean it and it was wrong of me to yell at you.”

The boy’s face scrunched in confusion. “What? I don’t care about that. You have to leave.”

Iruka sighed, the familiar ache of inadequacy returning. He could almost hear Naruto arguing with him, completely closed off. Why was he so inept? “Can I at least rest for a bit? I’m tired.” He paused thoughtfully. “What’s your name?”

_“No.”_ The boy shook his head, his hands fisted by his sides. Icy grey eyes bore into Iruka’s. “You have to leave, _now._ Or it’ll get worse again.”

Iruka frowned. “What’s getting worse?” he said and then, “My name’s Iruka. Can you tell me yours?”

The air seemed to tremble, thrumming with a sense of electricity and the thought of a storm crossed Iruka’s mind until he glanced up at the blue sky behind the sea of green above his head.

A jagged shard of something like blue lighting slammed into the ground where the boy stood and Iruka’s cry was drowned out by a monstrous rumble that drove terror deep into his heart and froze him to the ground. 

The light faded and before him now stood a tall man with a fierce scar and bared teeth. His robes whipped around his built form, the same blue as the boy’s, but now decorated with intricate silver swirls that Iruka couldn’t bring himself to admire. Not when a blood-red eye glared so angrily at him.

Iruka’s heart beat once and the connection dawned on him. This was the shrine’s deity.

“Get out!” The deity snapped, his voice slicing through the frantic drumming of Iruka’s pulse in his ears. The deity’s teeth, incredibly like a wolf’s, gnashed hungrily at Iruka and Iruka threw himself back, landing in the pool. Water soaked his bottom and his feet, turning his sleeves soggy. He spared a brief thought for the koi but it fled as the deity advanced. 

“If you come back, I’ll kill you!” The power of his words bore down on Iruka like a physical force and Iruka whimpered.

Weak and dizzy, Iruka scrambled to his feet, abandoning his getas and knapsack as he ran for his life, not daring to look back even as he reached the steps of the mountain and crossed into the safe threshold of his home.

* * *

The storm eventually came.

It battered the mountain with all its strength, knocking the trees flat and triggering landslides that threatened to take Konoha with it. For days straight, the sky was dark and relentless, enough that the homes residing lower on the mountain were evacuated. It was as if the storm itself wished to bury the mountain.

It was weeks later that Iruka was finally allowed back home, after sunny skies had dried the land and workers had cleared the path to Konoha and had started to rebuild the village. Thankfully, the damage to his home was easily repairable and he spent his free time helping his neighbors with their repairs.

Concern over the shrine never left his mind, consuming his thoughts as he had watched the mountain shudder beneath the weight of the storm. Had it survived? Had it been swept away? What happened to the little creatures that had made their home within the shrine? A fierce yearning opened a hollow in his chest but fear of the deity’s anger quelled any urge to find out and Iruka tried to move on and forget the tiny oasis he had revived. He mourned in secret, disguising his upset with worry over another vicious storm.

* * *

With a shaky hand, Iruka signed his name at the bottom of the document and handed it over. The rest of the conversation with the village elders passed by in a haze and Iruka barely realized he was taking the old way home, his thoughts burdened with building anxiousness.

Would they approve of him as Naruto’s guardian? What if they didn’t? Where would Naruto go? Everyone knew the orphanage had been destroyed — 

The barest hint of a honey-like scent ripped Iruka’s gaze from his feet to his side. His mouth gaped open and he nearly dropped his knapsack. 

The path had returned.

Iruka’s initial burst of relief was marred by the mud and dead plants that swallowed large portions of the stones. It didn’t bode well and Iruka feared the worst for the shrine. Iruka hopped onto the path and his heart clenched as the path remained the same. No wind, no glowing green trees. Without a second thought, Iruka took off running.

* * *

The storm had ravaged the shrine. 

The torii gate was gone, leaving nothing but holes in the dirt that were surrounded by dead, dry grass. A single shide remained, half-stuck in mud and fluttering in the calm breeze. Here, the stone path had been shattered, torn from the ground in painful chunks. 

Horror-struck, Iruka took in the sight, a cry of despair stuck in his throat. He didn’t want to look towards the stone shrine but his head was already turning, his eyes following the missing trail to land on a small body crumpled in front of the dried pool.

It was the little boy.

“Oh gods!” Iruka ran to him and pulled the boy into his lap, patting his cheeks. “Oh Gods no, are you okay? Can you hear me?” 

Shallow, quick breaths told Iruka the boy was still alive, but his body was freezing and he wasn’t responding. Iruka brushed his hair aside to check for a head wound and finding nothing, cradled him in his arms and stood. The boy nestled into Iruka’s chest and Iruka’s heart swelled, picturing Naruto having recently done the same. 

“A doctor, I need to get you to a doctor!”

Trying not to jostle him too much, Iruka jogged to the edge of the shrine’s grounds, around where the torii gate had been and froze. In his arms, the boy had grown pale, almost see-through. Dumbfounded, Iruka retreated a few steps and watched as his body darkened, becoming solid.

After a moment of complete confusion, it clicked and Iruka let out a soft, “Oh.”

The boy was tied to the shrine. The boy was the deity Iruka had met.

Iruka stood still, his heartbeat echoing in his ears. What should he do? He looked around the shrine again, feeling the damage reflected in his soul. There was nothing left. Should he leave? The idea was rejected immediately; Iruka could leave the boy just as soon as he could leave Naruto. He couldn’t.

Helpless, Iruka returned to the dry pool and placed the boy back where he had found him, brushing grey hair out of his face. Inspecting his face, Iruka could see the resemblance with the brief look he’d gotten of the deity in his true form. But why had he been so angry? And why wasn’t he waking up?

Instead, Iruka sat down and settled the boy’s head in his lap. He gently petted his hair, noticing how unthreatening and vulnerable the boy appeared when compared to his larger form. This is who he had feared? He was so _pitiful_. Something on the inner lining of the boy’s yukata caught Iruka’s attention and he reached for the fabric, tugging it into view.

A henohenomeji was stitched in silver thread and Iruka frowned. Was that his name? “Kakashi?”

The boy’s eyes flew open and met Iruka’s.

In a blink of an eye and a sudden rush of air, the boy vanished from Iruka’s grasp and reappeared across the clearing in his adult form. Expecting anger, Iruka was bewildered as the deity blinked at him with wide eyes, pure surprise on his face.

Iruka stumbled to his feet and reached a hand out. “Are you okay?” he asked tentatively and realized his mistake as the moment the deity _—Kakashi—_ frowned at him. Panicked, he dropped into a stiff dogeza, his forehead pressing hard into the dirt. “I beg for forgiveness, please don’t kill me!” 

“You again?” Kakashi’s voice reverberated through every fiber of Iruka’s being and in the back of his mind, he knew it suited the deity well. “Why did you come back?”

Footsteps approached and Iruka tried to make himself smaller. “Please spare me!”

Kakashi sighed, the sound so long-suffering that Iruka cracked an eye open but didn’t dare move. Kakashi’s shadow loomed over him.

“Oi, stop it. Get up.”

Iruka obediently craned his head up and sat back. “I-I’m sorry?” From where he was sitting, Kakashi towered over him but he wasn’t angry. If anything, he looked curious.

Kakashi crouched down to his height and looked at him straight-on. “Why are you back?” he asked bluntly.

Searching for a proper response, Iruka’s eyes were drawn to the scar on Kakashi’s face. His fingers knew every contour and raised bump of the scar, and he personally knew how much it must have hurt. His fingers twitched to trace it’s length again, to feel the difference in stone and flesh. “I don’t know,” he said in a small voice.

Without a warning, Kakahsi’s hand came up to grasp Iruka’s chin and Kakashi leaned in far too close. He tilted Iruka’s face one way and the other. “Huh, you’re not lying.” He took a step back and Iruka sucked in a much-needed breath. Kakashi studied the shrine grounds. “Iruka.”

Iruka blinked, warmth blossoming in his stomach. “You know my name?”

“You’ve been talking to me for months,” Kakashi drawled. “How could I not?”

Iruka flushed. “You could’ve responded,” he snipped, too quickly to catch himself. He was fascinated as the corner of Kakashi’s mouth twitched.

“Fair enough. Now leave.”

The smile that had been building on Iruka’s face died. “What?”

The air crackled and Kakashi’s appearance flickered back to the boy for a second before returning to his adult form. He bared his teeth but rather than appear menacing, he looked tired. “I’m giving you one last warning. Forget this shrine and never come back.”

“Why?”

Iruka’s question seemed to actually anger Kakashi. _“Leave me alone,”_ he hissed, and Iruka heard a faint echo that sounded eerily like Naruto whenever he was backed into a corner or scared. _“Leave.”_

It gave Iruka enough pause to think. He wondered how long the shrine had remained buried in the mountain, left to rot. He wondered how long a little boy had sat on the shrine grounds, hungry, surrounded by decay as the years mercilessly passed by. 

His heart ached and while Iruka didn’t know why Kakashi wanted him gone, he understood he needed to come back. Wisely choosing to keep silent, Iruka rose to his feet and left. 

Kakashi didn’t look at him.

* * *

The wooden handle dug into his hand, the basket heavy with every bit of food Iruka could cram into it. Finding the shrine empty, Iruka set the basket down and dropped his knapsack, the tools inside clanking loudly.

Iruka knew Kakashi would appear eventually — he just needed to keep busy until then. He began clearing out the debris from the storm, removing twigs and branches and replacing pieces of the path back into the ground. He threw out the dead leaves in the pool and searched for the slightest hint of any of the creatures that had lived in it. He wondered how long it would take for the koi fish to return. A breeze swept by and Iruka rose and set his shoulders in determination.

“You don’t listen, do you?” Kakashi ignored the basket of food and stared hard at Iruka. 

“Tell me why.”

“I don’t need to.”

“Then I won’t leave.” Iruka lifted his chin. “And you can’t make me.”

Kakashi’s jaw clenched and a steely look entered his eyes. “Oh, I can’t?” 

Kakashi approached slowly and Iruka felt an almost-physical force slam into him, stripping the strength from his body. He dropped to his knees with a gasp, his vision swimming and turning black at the edges. His heart seemed to panic, unable to beat properly as Iruka struggled to breath. Was he about to die?

The pressure immediately vanished and Iruka crumpled into a heap, rolling onto his side and drawing in lungfuls of air as his eyes watered, everything too blurry to recognize.

“O-oi, are you okay?” Kakashi’s voice sounded hoarse. “Dammit, I didn’t mean to go that far.” He rustled around and Iruka felt something press against his lips, recognizing the smell as a piece of the bread he’d brought for Kakashi. “Eat this.”

Iruka couldn’t bite even if he wanted to. He shook feebly and Kakashi cursed.

“Too weak?” Kakashi sat him up and cradled Iruka’s face between his hands. “I don’t know if this will work...”

Iruka’s eyes shot wide open as Kakashi kissed him hard, his hands keeping Iruka in place. Heat flooded Iruka’s cheeks and his heart jumped, and he felt a sliver of strength return, his hands twitching to reach up to Kakashi. Somewhere behind him, he heard the stone shrine crack and Kakashi pulled away, nonplussed. 

The piece of bread was shoved against his mouth again and Iruka dutifully bit, too shocked to do anything else. Kakashi looked pleased, but there was something off about him. He seemed incredibly weaker, as if he struggled to maintain his form.

Iruka swallowed and avoided another bite. “W-what did you do?” He whispered, unsure if he should be frightened or not. His heart continued to beat queerly and Iruka felt lost.

Kakashi dropped the bread and pulled out an apple which he promptly presented to Iruka. “What I always do. What I was created to do.” Kakashi looked at him tiredly. “This is the second time I’ve nearly killed you.”

Iruka ignored the fruit and thought back to the sickness that had haunted him for a month. “That was you?” He said weakly. “Why did you—”

“I draw power from life. Any creature that visits this shrine will suffer and the longer you’re here, the more I draw,” Kakashi explained plainly, a grimace on his face. “You’ll die if you don’t leave.”

Iruka’s stomach dropped and he felt dizzy.

Abruptly, Kakashi reverted to his child form, but it flickered in and out. The lines of exhaustion were equally pronounced on his younger face. “I might’ve overdid it,” he said roughly. “But you should have enough energy to get away. _Please._ ”

In a blink, he vanished, leaving Iruka alone. He looked at the shrine and shuddered at the large crack cleaving the shrine in two. 

Eventually, Iruka picked himself up and headed home.

* * *

Naruto eyed him suspiciously as he stood at the doorway to the small bedroom, still clutching the small bag that contained all of his clothes and toys. “Is it really for me?” he said tentatively.

Iruka ruffled his hair, unusually nervous. “Who else would it be for?”

“Someone better.”

“There can’t be anyone better.”

Naruto scuffed his toe. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“I might make a mess. I could break something.”

“I can fix it.”

“What if you can’t?” Naruto met his gaze, a challenge in his watery eyes. “What if I break it too much? What if I draw on the walls?”

“Then I can buy a new one,” Iruka said easily. “And they’re your walls. You can draw on them if you want.”

Naruto curled up into a little ball as Iruka held him tightly.

* * *

It had been a month. It was time. 

Iruka tightened his yukata and grabbed a lantern. He peeked into Naruto’s room, his heart swelling at the sight of Naruto finally sleeping peacefully in his bed. It had taken weeks before he stopped sleeping in the corner of his bedroom, his back pressed seamlessly to the wall.

As silently as he could, Iruka trekked up the mountain and down the path. Once at the shrine, he dug around his knapsack and drew out a still-steaming soboro donburi, the savory scent of chicken and eggs wafting into the air. He sat on his legs and held the bowl in both hands.

With a quiet whisper of a breeze, Kakashi appeared in his adult form, once more surprised to see him. Iruka wondered if Kakashi thought he wouldn’t come back.

Iruka offered the bowl. “Please take my offering, God of the Mountain Shrine.”

“Are you trying to kill yourself?” Kakashi asked bluntly, his gaze flickering from the bowl to Iruka’s face. In the dark, he was immensely more intimidating, but Iruka couldn’t find it in him to be scared.

“No. I have a little boy to take care of.”

Kakashi’s face turned pensive. “Naruto?”

Iruka’s chest puffed up. “Yes. He’s living with me now.”

“Does he know you’re trying to kill yourself?”

“No, because I’m not.” Iruka set the bowl aside and stood. It dawned on him that Kakashi was only slightly taller than him. He spread his arms out. “I’m fully healed.”

“So?” Kakashi cocked a brow. “You won’t be for long.”

“I can’t stay for long.” Iruka grinned, proud of the plan he’d been putting together since he last came. “I think I can manage a visit per week, and if not, maybe every two weeks. I was doing okay when I came here, before the storm.”

“I wasn’t a full power before the storm.” Something glinted in Kakashi’s eyes and Iruka felt it reflected in his own. “It’s worse.”

“Then we can figure something out. I’m not leaving you.”

Kakashi’s face hardened. “I don’t understand you. Why?”

“Because I think you’re lonely. And because I want to keep you company.”

“I’ll ignore you. You can come but I won’t be here,” Kakashi threatened.

“I’ll go back to talking to myself, then,” Iruka countered. “I’m already used to that.”

“Humans are stubborn,” Kakashi said under his breath, but didn’t offer another dismissal. Instead, he sat beside Iruka and picked up the bowl. “Do what you will, it’s your life you're sacrificing.”

Only once Iruka was mildly tired did Kakashi disappear with a reluctant wave, ordering Iruka to go home and rest. It would be another long while before Iruka knew he should come back and he took a moment to memorize the shrine grounds. He then inspected the actual shrine, noting the slight trickle of water that had returned to feed the dry pool. 

The shrine was still broken but the crack in the stonework seemed less severe.

**Author's Note:**

> Another one down, 50 more ideas to go. I write and I write but they don't stop (-_-)  
> lol kudos and comments are appreciated


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